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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: row · root · squash · club · perch · bore · bay · mine

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. perch — the fish
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. root — of a word
  5. mine — for digging
  6. club — a group
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. club — for golf
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. row — a line
  13. root — of a plant
  14. row — to paddle
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. root — the cause
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bore — to tire
  20. club — for dancing
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — for a bird

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com